Edible landscaping uses food producing plants such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, berries, herbs and edible flowers along with ornamental plants to create an aesthetically pleasing landscape.  These designs or landscapes can be partially or completely edible.

Benefits of Growing Vegetables and Fruits within the Landscape

  • Edibles are fresh and delicious and can be grown organically, which minimizes the use of chemicals in the landscape.
  • Having a supply of fresh fruits and veggies will help save on food costs.
  • Drip irrigation is often utilized on vegetables and fruits.  This method can lower your water use compared to spray irrigation, and is typically the best method.
  • Deciduous fruit trees in the summer, can effectively cool the yard with the shade from their leaves.  Conversely, in the winter because the leaves have fallen, they allow for sunlight into the landscape.
  • Unusual varieties of vegetables and fruits can be grown within the landscape which typically cannot be found in grocery stores.
  • Proper mixing of ornamental flowers with edibles can increase the protection of the edibles from garden pests such as insects.  For example onions can deter aphids from surrounding plants, marigolds can fend off snails and petunias can repel bean beetles.
  • Gardening with edibles can be personally gratifying because it involves creating a landscape that is not only aesthetically pleasing but also delicious!

Considerations for Growing Edibles in the Landscape

  • Choose plants that are compatible with similar sun, soil, and water requirements.  Most edibles (but not all) need at least 6 hours of sunlight and deep infrequent watering (usually applied with drip irrigation).
  • Amend the soil with organic matter such as compost to increase the fertility of the soil and to help ensure the proper nutrients necessary for fruit and vegetable production.
  • Consider planting two of one species of each plant because many fruits and vegetables require another of its own kind nearby as a pollinizer to produce fruit. Check to see if the plants are self-pollinators.
  • Think through the amount of time required to maintain the plants.  Some edibles require more care than others.
  • Plant fruits and veggies that flower and fruit at different times throughout the year.  This way the garden will have flowers and fruit during all seasons.
  • If space is limited, consider using dwarf varieties, plant in containers for small patios, train vines to grow over arbors and pergolas or espalier (prune flat) against a wall or fence.

Creative Small Space Solutions

Vertical Gardens

  • Invest in a living wall system.  These walls will beautify your landscape immensely and are great for growing herbs and many types of vegetables and fruit www.filtrexx.com/en/products/vertexx-walls.com
  • Use shelves attached to fences or retaining walls, and  make the shelves at the bottom wider than the ones above.

Creative Hanging Gardens

  • There are many types of edible plants that will grow well in hanging baskets.  A creative way to maximize space is to grow vegetables upside down and then plant additional edibles on the top of the basket.  Tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, beans, and peppers can easily be grown upside down and then lettuce, radishes, carrots or many other edibles may be grown on the top.

Some Delicious Food Choices

Vegetables and Fruit

  • Artichokes
  • Beans
  • Cabbage
  • Carrots
  • Eggplant
  • Gourds
  • Indian Corn
  • Kale
  • Lettuces
  • Onion
  • Peppers
  • Potatoes
  • Radishes
  • Tomatoes

Kitchen Herbs

  • Basil
  • Bee Balm
  • Chamomile
  • Chicory
  • Chives
  • Cress
  • Dandelion
  • Dill
  • Lavender
  • Mint
  • Oregano
  • Parsley
  • Rosemary
  • Sage
  • Thyme

Fruits, Nuts, and Edible Seeds

  • Almond
  • Apple
  • Apricot
  • Avocado
  • Berries
  • Cherry
  • Citrus
  • Fig
  • Grapes
  • Melons
  • Nectarine
  • Olive
  • Peach
  • Pear
  • Persimmon
  • Plum
  • Pomegranate
  • Sunflower Seeds
  • Walnut

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